Lithobius variegatus
Encyclopedia
Lithobius variegatus is a species
of centipede
found in Europe
, sometimes called the common banded centipede or banded centipede.
L. variegatus can be distinguished from its close relative Lithobius forficatus
by the presence of conspicuous purple or brown rings around its legs . It preys on small invertebrate
s such as woodlice
(including Philoscia muscorum
, Oniscus asellus
, Porcellio scaber
and Androniscus dentiger
) and millipede
s, including Polydesmus angustus
and Tachypodoiulus niger
. It, in turn, is eaten by bird
s such as magpie
s and blackbirds .
For a long time, it was thought that L. variegatus was endemic to the British Isles
, but populations were later discovered in the Channel Islands
, Brittany
, northwestern Spain
and northern Portugal
. There are also records from southern Italy
, Morocco
and Tunisia
, making it a good example of a member of the Lusitanian fauna — species found in the western Mediterranean region and extending northwards to the British Isles, but avoiding most of North-West Europe
.
L. variegatus also contains the subspecies
L. v. rubripes, which was formerly treated as a separate species. It is more widespread in Western Europe
and lacks the banding pattern on the legs .
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of centipede
Centipede
Centipedes are arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda of the subphylum Myriapoda. They are elongated metameric animals with one pair of legs per body segment. Despite the name, centipedes can have a varying number of legs from under 20 to over 300. Centipedes have an odd number of pairs of...
found in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, sometimes called the common banded centipede or banded centipede.
L. variegatus can be distinguished from its close relative Lithobius forficatus
Lithobius forficatus
Lithobius forficatus , most commonly known as the brown centipede, is a common European centipede of the family Lithobiidae, although its distribution is not exclusive to Europe...
by the presence of conspicuous purple or brown rings around its legs . It preys on small invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s such as woodlice
Woodlouse
A woodlouse is a crustacean with a rigid, segmented, long exoskeleton and fourteen jointed limbs...
(including Philoscia muscorum
Philoscia muscorum
Philoscia muscorum, the common striped woodlouse or fast woodlouse, is a common European woodlouse. It is found from the British Isles and southern Scandinavia east to Ukraine and south to Greece. It has also spread to Washington and many states in New England, as well as Nova Scotia.-Description:P...
, Oniscus asellus
Oniscus asellus
Oniscus asellus, the common woodlouse, is one of the largest and most common species of woodlouse in the British Isles and Western and Northern Europe, growing to lengths of 16 mm and widths of 6 mm.-Distribution:...
, Porcellio scaber
Porcellio scaber
Porcellio scaber , is a species of European woodlouse.-Distribution:...
and Androniscus dentiger
Androniscus dentiger
Androniscus dentiger, the rosy woodlouse or pink woodlouse is a species of woodlouse found from Great Britain to North Africa.-Description:A...
) and millipede
Millipede
Millipedes are arthropods that have two pairs of legs per segment . Each segment that has two pairs of legs is a result of two single segments fused together as one...
s, including Polydesmus angustus
Polydesmus angustus
Polydesmus angustus, also known as the flat-backed millipede, is a millipede in the genus Polydesmus.-Physical characteristics:...
and Tachypodoiulus niger
Tachypodoiulus niger
Tachypodoiulus niger, known variously as the white-legged snake millipede or the black millipede, is a European species of millipede. It is very similar to other species such as Cylindroiulus londinensis, from which it can be reliably distinguished only by studying the shape of the telson...
. It, in turn, is eaten by bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s such as magpie
Magpie
Magpies are passerine birds of the crow family, Corvidae.In Europe, "magpie" is often used by English speakers as a synonym for the European Magpie, as there are no other magpies in Europe outside Iberia...
s and blackbirds .
For a long time, it was thought that L. variegatus was endemic to the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
, but populations were later discovered in the Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
, Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, northwestern Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and northern Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. There are also records from southern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, making it a good example of a member of the Lusitanian fauna — species found in the western Mediterranean region and extending northwards to the British Isles, but avoiding most of North-West Europe
North-West Europe
North-West Europe is a term that refers to a northern area of Western Europe, although the exact area or countries it comprises varies.-Geographic definition:...
.
L. variegatus also contains the subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
L. v. rubripes, which was formerly treated as a separate species. It is more widespread in Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
and lacks the banding pattern on the legs .